“Quite so, Lady Catherine. That is certainly true in the case of Sir Marius’s plantation. Almost all of his slaves seem rather content with their lot.”
“Then perhaps he is too tolerant and ought to work them harder.”
Anne tried not to feel jealous when Mr. Asquith bestowed one of his dazzling smiles upon her mama. “I believe a willing worker will always be more productive. I saw that for myself while on Sir Marius’s property. Some of the wretched creatures on adjoining plantations were not treated nearly so well and were unable to work so hard as a consequence.”
“Hmm, perhaps.”
As the carriage rattled along, Anne glanced out of the window. She was unsurprised that Mr. Asquith had the last word in this exchange with her mama, as he so often seemed to. It was rather extraordinary when one thought about it. Mama was nothing if not forthright in the expression of her opinions, but Mr. Asquith made his point with such charm and deference, even Mama couldn’t find fault with his manner. He wasn’t afraid of Mama. She appeared to respect his courage and intellect, just as Anne had always thought Mama privately respected Eliza Bennet, now Mrs. Darcy, for standing up to her during her visit to Rosings last year. So few people challenged her opinions that Mama didn’t always know how to react when it actually happened.
Mrs. Darcy. Anne briefly closed her eyes, revelling in her narrow escape. For years, she had known Mama intended that title for her. She had dreaded the day when it would come to pass, as she was sure it would, because everyone always did what Mama required of them. Frankly, Mr. Darcy frightened her. He was so severe, so…well, so everything she was not. He did not love her, but she had always supposed he wouldn’t be able to resist having Rosings as well as Pemberley beneath his stewardship. The very thought of sharing her life with such an aloof person had made her perpetually unwell, and she was heartily grateful to Mrs. Darcy for saving her from a situation that would have made her even more invisible than she already was.
But her relief had been short-lived. This visit to Pemberley, ostensibly to heal the rift between Mama and the Darcys, had actually been arranged so Colonel Fitzwilliam could admire her. Admire? Humiliation washed through Anne. She would be the first to admit she was no beauty. She possessed few talents and even less conversation. People made her so nervous she never knew quite what to say to them. Besides, her mother seldom left her with an opportunity to speak for herself. Even so, all and sundry plied her with compliments, simply because of who she was. It was all so shallow, so pointless. Anne abhorred being the centre of attention. She abhorred false flattery even more.
She wasn’t supposed to be aware of her mother’s efforts to bring her and the colonel together, but she had overheard Mama discussing it with Mrs. Collins. The colonel frightened her almost as much as Mr. Darcy did, but she knew he could not afford to turn his back on her, any more than Anne could refuse to do her duty. Dear God, why could she not have been born a farmer’s daughter, where she would at least have had some say in her own future?
Anne glanced across at Mr. Asquith, seated with his limbs elegantly arranged and his back to the horses, smiling at something her mother had just said. Oh, how she wished things were different. She knew nothing of Mr. Asquith’s family. He was very reticent on the subject, and strangely, to Anne’s precise knowledge, Mama had not made too many enquiries in that respect. Not that any were necessary. It was obvious to anyone with eyes in their head he was a gentleman without means. His education, his manners, his refined tone, and his elegant way of conducting himself, all attested to that fact. If only Anne was free to please herself… Of course, she never would be and so there was little point in having regrets.
“Are you warm enough, Anne?”
Her mother’s voice jolted Anne out of her reverie. It was amusing; until recently she was constantly being asked that question, but hadn’t noticed it was being posed far less regularly since Mrs. Jenkinson had left. When Mr. Asquith had first arrived at Rosings, she heard her mother explain to him about her frail state of health, and informed him that under no circumstances was she to be over-exerted. Anne gleaned a lot of information by listening to her mother’s conversations. Mama had a lot to say on every conceivable subject, whereas Anne was so quiet people often forgot she was in the room. That had proven very useful on more than one occasion. Mr. Asquith had merely raised a brow. He said he was sure that was a temporary situation and, as Miss de Bourgh grew older her health would most likely improve. No one had ever suggested she would outgrow her maladies before. They usually rushed to agree with her mother’s assessment of Anne’s situation, sympathised, and then pampered her.
Mr. Asquith did not do any of those things, and it was a liberating experience.
“How many more days shall we have on the road, Mr. Asquith?” she asked.
Anne had always found travelling exceedingly tiring, but then she had never travelled with such a compelling companion before. Enclosed in a comfortable carriage, with just her Mama and Mr. Asquith for company, put a very different light on matters, and she wished the journey could go on indefinitely. Better yet, she dared to pretend, at least in her own head, that it was just her and Mr. Asquith making the journey and that his glamorous smiles were all for her. She absolutely did not wish to face what awaited her at the end of this particular road, so put it out of her mind.
“Two more nights should see us in Derbyshire, Miss de Bourgh.”
Only two nights? Anne sighed. It hardly seemed fair.
***
Joshua Fitzwilliam received Eliza Darcy’s letter of invitation with a mixture of pleasure and a sigh of inevitability. He had used regimental manoeuvres as a legitimate reason to decline an invitation from Lady Catherine to visit Rosings the previous month, knowing full well why his presence was required there. Darcy had had the temerity to scupper Lady Catherine’s carefully laid plans by marrying Eliza instead of their cousin Anne, and now Joshua was expected to take up the role of heir apparent.
He moved to the sideboard, poured himself a substantial measure of brandy, and indulged in a second sigh. Part of him wondered what the devil was the matter with him. Marriage to Anne, procuring stewardship of a grand estate such as Rosings, would see an end to his financial problems. It would be a solution the majority of men would snatch up with both hands.
Unfortunately, Joshua had an annoying penchant for not following the majority.
He didn’t have feelings for Anne, but how many people in his situation could afford the luxury of marrying for love? Darcy had done so, and Joshua tried not to envy him his good fortune. With her flashing eyes and irreverent attitude, Eliza was one of the few women in England with the fortitude and will to induce his cousin to unbend as he embraced married life. Indeed, he had seen remarkable changes in Darcy when attending his house party just a few short weeks ago. And now their union was to be blessed with a child.
Don’t think about Darcy, he told himself, or Eliza, either. If he thought about the woman he had been so attracted to the first time he met her, it would get him nowhere. That was his secret, his cross to bear in solitude.
And so he returned his thoughts to Lady Catherine and her stark determination to see him wed to her daughter. It would indeed mean he would be set for life, but not on his own terms. Lady Catherine might live for many more years yet and was not the sort of person who would give up the reins of management until she was in her dotage. Worse, she would assume she could interfere in his marriage and tell Joshua how to behave. That was as unacceptable as resigning his commission would be, but both situations would have to be confronted if he decided to oblige his aunt.
Not all love matches endured, he reminded himself. His own brother had married a woman he was besotted with, thinking his regard was returned. She had married him, it transpired, for his title and position, thinking he was well set-up. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but Joshua’s sister-in-law had still run through what blunt his brother did possess in less than no time. Tobias did nothing to
prevent her for fear of losing her non-existent regard. Joshua had lost all respect for his sibling when he saw the manner in which he allowed his wife to rule the roost, bringing the noble Fitzwilliam clan close to dun territory in the process.
Joshua took a long sip of brandy, thinking that marrying for financial security rather than personal fidelity might be the wiser course to take, after all. Not many couples found the happiness the Darcys and the Bingleys enjoyed. If his aunt was so anxious to bring the union about, he would lay down his own terms before agreeing to it. Only if Lady Catherine gave her solemn word to stand aside and let him manage the estate, would Joshua be persuaded. He would make her understand he would be the master of Rosings in reality as well as through marriage to her daughter, and that everyone would answer to him. In short, he would brook no interference from Lady Catherine.
Yes, that was what he would do. He stared at himself in the mirror above the fireplace and raised his glass in a mock salute, determined to start as he meant to go on. Perhaps it would not be so very bad. Joshua would go to Pemberley, face his aunt and cousin, and see how matters progressed. He would spend time talking to Anne, and try to discover what she required from her life. He realised with a jolt that he had never spoken to her in private before and really knew very little about her own aspirations. He was not even sure if she actually had any.
Eliza had invited Halstead and Turner to accompany him, which would give his friends great joy. Joshua was still unsure how he felt about Halstead pursuing Georgiana, custodianship of whom Joshua shared with Darcy. He would watch them together, speak with Darcy about the matter, and get a better understanding of Georgiana’s feelings for his friend. Joshua chuckled. He was already well aware of Halstead’s, since he never lost an opportunity to sing Georgiana’s praises when in Joshua’s company.
Joshua rang for his batman. When he appeared, he told him to summon Halstead and Turner. After the recent manoeuvres, in which all three men had taken an active part, they were due for some leave. Joshua might as well tell them the good news before he had a chance to change his mind and find an excuse to decline the invitation.
***
“How did you find the Briars?”
Lizzy lay on a settee in her private sitting room, her head resting in her husband’s lap. “I liked them very much.”
“I thought you would. Do they plan to stay in Derbyshire until after Christmas?”
“They look upon themselves as quite settled here. They have no plans to go to town for the season. Their two sons are otherwise occupied. One is in his final year at Cambridge, and the other is in Europe doing whatever young men do when they have finished their tenure at university and need to let off steam.” Lizzy glanced up at Will. “Presumably you had a Grand Tour.”
“I did.”
“Ah, so you will be able to satisfy my curiosity on the point. I have often wondered what young men of fortune and privilege do with themselves in Italy, and Greece, and all those other places that are considered de rigeur.”
Will chuckled. “You would be too shocked. I am sure it’s not good for you to be shocked, not in your condition. Suffice it to say that idle young men do need, as you so charmingly put it, to let off steam away from their own doorsteps.”
Lizzy sent him a speaking look. “Your son needs to be informed.”
Will rested a warm hand possessively on her belly. “What makes you so sure you are carrying a boy?”
“I certainly hope I am.”
“Good heavens.” Will flexed a brow. “Why?”
“You need to ask me that?” Lizzy lifted her head from its comfortable resting place, genuinely surprised. “Of course you want a son to inherit and carry on the Darcy name. I know the anguish my mother suffered each time she produced a girl. She told me recently, as each confinement approached, she was convinced she would have a boy at last, cutting off the Longbourne entail. But she never did. I would prefer to know at the earliest opportunity that I have not inherited her inability to bear sons.”
“Lizzy, as far as I am aware, it is impossible to inherit such traits.” He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her brow. “Besides, I have nothing against daughters, so please don’t spare the matter another thought. Pemberley isn’t entailed, nor will it ever be. If we have no sons, then our eldest daughter will inherit.”
“Thank you.” Lizzy felt a welling of deep love for her husband’s consideration. She knew he couldn’t possibly be telling the truth. All men secretly desired at least one son, did they not? He sought only to put her mind at rest. “It is silly to worry about such things, I know, but I feel rather sorry for your cousin Anne, having the future responsibility for Rosings resting upon her shoulders. I am not suggesting that management of a large estate is beyond a woman, but it would be harder for her than it would be for a man. Any woman in that position would be viewed as an easy target and taken advantage of.”
Will laughed. “In Anne’s case, not while there is still breath in Lady Catherine’s body. It would be a brave man who tried to take advantage of my aunt.”
“Quite, but Anne is not cut from the same cloth.”
“Which is why my aunt wishes to see her married. If not to Fitzwilliam then to someone equally suitable.”
“Of Lady Catherine’s choosing?”
“Very likely, but we cannot interfere.”
“No, I suppose not, but…oh, I don’t know, it all seems so clinical somehow.”
“Lady Catherine has many faults, I will be the first to admit that, but she does love her daughter and wants the very best for her. She understands Anne’s limitations and wants to ensure she, as well as the Rosings estate, prospers after she is gone.”
“If you are trying to tell me not to get involved, then you need not waste your breath. It is not my concern.”
“And we seem to have drifted a long way from the subject of the Briars.”
“That’s because you very cleverly turned our conversation away from the subject of your infamous Grand Tour.”
Will sent her a smouldering smile. “What makes you suppose it was infamous?”
“If it was not, you wouldn’t be so keen to avoid talking about it.” Lizzy reached up a hand and gently traced the line of her husband’s face. “However, I will not press you. And, as to the Briars, I saw Lord Briar only briefly but he seemed like an agreeable gentleman, very affable. He sent you his compliments, by the way. As to Lady Briar, I thought her quite charming, although she is delicate and suffers with her nerves. I spent half an hour with her and her sister.”
“She has a sister residing with her?”
“Mrs. Sheffield is a lot younger than Lady Briar, but very interesting, and quite charming. She cannot be more than five-and-twenty, but is already a widow. Her husband died of a fever over a year ago, somewhere abroad. She did not say where. Anyway, she has just returned to England and at the moment her home is with her sister.”
“What is she like?”
“Educated, well-bred, and very beautiful. She and Lady Briar appear very close. Although Mrs. Sheffield is considerably younger, she seems to take care of her sister, rather than the other way around.” Lizzy canted her head, thinking the matter through. “But she was nervous and on edge the entire time. Mrs. Sheffield, that is. Oh, she hid it well, but there is more to that lady than meets the eye. You just mark my words.”
“Well then, we shall invite them to dinner, and I dare say Mrs. Sheffield will have told you all her secrets by the time the first covers are removed.”
Lizzy punched her husband’s arm. “You make me sound like a busybody.”
“Not at all. It is just that people tend to confide in you because they trust you to be discreet.”
“Hmm, perhaps.” Lizzy felt her eyelids drooping, and she stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. She seemed to be tired all the time nowadays.
“Come, you need to rest before dinner.”
She felt herself being lifted by a strong pair of arms, and the next thing she kn
ew, she was nestled between crisp cotton sheets. She had so much to do, so many arrangements to make, but they could wait. She would sleep, just for an hour, and then dress for dinner.
Chapter Three
“Let battle commence,” Lizzy muttered beneath her breath as she stood with Will, Georgiana and Kitty beneath the entrance portico at Pemberley, watching Lady Catherine’s barouche make its way up the long driveway.
“Did you say something, my dear?” Will asked.
Nothing that bears repeating. “I was just remarking your relations have made good time. I had not expected seeing them until tomorrow at the earliest.”
Will sent her a droll look before returning his attention to the approaching conveyance. “Ah, is that what you said?” His lips twitched and she felt the muscles in his forearm strengthen beneath her fingers resting upon it. “I must have misheard you.”
“Stop making fun of me,” she hissed, so Georgiana and Kitty, chatting together a short distance apart from them, could not overhear. “You know how nervous I am about making a good impression.”
This time, Will definitely smiled. “It is Lady Catherine who ought to feel nervous if she plans to cross swords with you.”
Lizzy quirked a brow. “Really? Am I so very ferocious? I am unsure what that says about your opinion of me.”
“Merely that if my aunt wishes to heal the rift between us then she would be wise to show the deference due to you as my wife.”
“Why do you always know exactly the right thing to say, especially when I think I have just cause to be vexed with you?”
He patted the hand still resting on his sleeve. “Because you are my life and the only thing that is truly important to me.” He paused, sending her a playful look. “Apart from my estate, my sister, and my new horse, naturally.”
Lizzy bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing and did her very best to look severe. “You will pay for that comment later.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam's Dilemma Page 2